Weighted sled

ABSTRACT

A sled for use in exercise which is pushed by a portion of a user&#39;s torso. The device has an extension member extending outwardly from a frame. A pusher member for receiving a portion of the user&#39;s torso is mounted to the end of the extension member, the frame has a lift device for reversing the direction of travel. A disc brake provides variable resistance to movement. A strain gauge sensor is used to provide performance information.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application62/837,818 filed on Apr. 24, 2019. This Application claims the benefitof U.S. Provisional Application 62/797,313 filed on Jan. 27, 2019.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an exercise sled and more particularly to anexercise sled which is pushed by a portion of the user's torso.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The desire to push athletic speed and acceleration to new heights is acommon goal for most every athlete in every ground-based sport played ona court, field or track. One very commonly used training tool used byathletes all over the world to develop power and strength in the legsfor the purposes of improving acceleration and speed is the weightedsled. With the passage of time and completion of research projects, newdiscoveries and naturally occurring human innovation, almost everyproduct, process and methodology for doing just about anything over thelast 50 years has been improved markedly. Likewise, trainingmethodologies and products designed to increase athletic abilitiesincluding speed have also seen many innovations and has evolved as aresult research discovering new ways to more effectively stimulate thehuman body for improved training responses resulting in elevatedperformance. With all the innovation and discoveries over the last fivedecades that have driven the development new athletic training productsand methodologies to further elevate human athletic performance, it isimportant to note that the weighted sled training methodology in termsof how the trainee is positioned, loaded, interfaces with and drives thesled, has not changed since the inception of the weighted sled over 50years ago. Referencing FIGS. 1-2, prior to the present disclosure, allweighted sleds had a similar drive interface between the trainee andsled consisting of 2 vertical drive members 2 or two horizontal drivemembers 3 connected to sled frame 1. To utilize and drive weightedsleds, trainees place their hands on drive members 2 or 3 and transferforce from their legs through their waist, torso, arms and hands to thesled in order to propel the sled forward. The purpose of this trainingmethodology is to apply resistance to the legs while propelling the sledforward to strengthen the majority of the muscles in the legs whichpropel the body forward. Hence, when the trainee's body adapts to thistraining methodology, their legs will have more strength and be able toproduce more power to facilitate and improve acceleration and top endspeed for improved athletic performance. However, over the last 20 to 30years many discoveries on how to more effectively target muscles forspeed development have been implemented with success which the weightedsled has not taken advantage of. It is a know fact that forcing theathlete to use their back, arms and hands (in a fixed position) totransfer leg drive force through their body to a sled puts the athleteor trainee in a non-athletic position and state of rigidity that rarelyoccurs in athletic competition of any kind.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the purpose of this disclosure to present innovations in theweighted sled design that will significantly improve the strength andspeed development benefits of the sled. This is accomplished by changinghow the sled interacts with the user from a driving perspective relativeto how force is transferred from the user to the sled and how the sledthrough other innovations while being pushed, will apply resistance toarm drive movements and to both legs while they are airborne drivingtowards the ground. The innovations presented allow the user to transfera driving force to a sled using only their waist or chest and eliminatethe requirement of the previous art to use the hands and arms to apply adriving force to a sled. Adding elastic resistance means to the sledfurther provides new capabilities for loading the arm swing motion whilerunning and loading the legs when they are not in contact with theground, specifically the downward driving movement prior to groundstrike. All the innovations in this disclosure will greatly enhance thebenefits of the prior art cited relative to enhancing sports specificstrength development for improving athletic speed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A novel sled with the distal end of the extension member being adaptedto receive the user's waist or chest as the sole means to transfer forceto the sled in order to push the sled. The sled eliminates the need touse the arms and hands as a means to transfer ground contact force fromthe legs to the sled which is a requirement for the prior art.

The push member whose end is adapted to receive a waist portion of theuser will have a width less than the width between the user's arms suchthat the user's arms and hands do not strike any portion of the pushmember or extension member while the user drives their arms forwards andbackwards with a natural running motion while pushing the sled withtheir waist.

The first portion of the extension member may extend downwardly to thedistal end where the push member is located to prevent the legs of theuser from contacting any portion of the push member and extension memberwhile the sled is being pushed.

The sled's frame will be able to mount one or more resistance moduleseach having an elongated elastic member contained within the modulewhich has a free end that can be routed to and connected to a portion ofthe user's leg, foot or hand to provide a training resistance resistingthe motion of those appendages while the sled is being pushed. Pulleyassemblies with clip attachments associated with each resistance modulewill serve as leads that can redirect the elongated resistance memberfrom the resistance module to different areas of the sled before routingthe elongated resistance member to the user.

The sled frame has a pair of upright members mounted to the base and across-member extending between the upright members wherein the elongatedmembers (resistance bands) pass from the resistance modules to thecross-member and then downwardly to the user's leg or foot.

The extension member is rotatably mounted on the cross-member such thatthe height of the push member on the distal end of the extension memberwith respect to the ground surface can be adjusted in height to suit thewaist or chest height of users of different heights.

The extension member can also be slidably mounted to the cross-membersuch that the position of distal end with push member relative to theback end of the sled's frame can be adjusted to increase or decrease thedistance between the push member and rear portion of the sled's frame.

One sled embodiment will include at least two skids supporting the frameon the ground which will create the friction and resistance to movementwhen force is applied to the sled.

One or more skids will have two pivotally mounted arms over the skidswith one end of each arm pivotally mounted above the skid and the othertwo distal ends supporting one or more wheels whereby a mechanical meanswill be present that can lower the wheel or wheels so as to lift theskid off the ground and subsequently reduce the amount of drag and forcerequired to push the sled. The mechanical means to lower the wheels andlift the skid off the ground can also raise the wheels above the skid sothe skid makes contact with the ground bearing the full weight of thatportion of the sled it supports.

An additional innovation that integrated into the sled is a liftmechanism housed in an aperture under the sled's frame. The lift isengaged by a foot pedal whereby pressing down on the foot pedal lowers ashaft with foot from within the aperture down to the ground lifting thesled off the ground. When lifted, the shaft and foot easily rotate onbearings so that the sled can be easily rotated and turned in anydirection the user desires. After the sled is turned to the directionthe user wants to push the sled, the foot pedal can be depressed againto retract the shaft and foot so that the sled's skids or wheels againrest on the ground.

The sled also includes an improved mechanism for changing resistancewhereby the present art requires weights to be added or removed from thesled to change push resistance, the sled utilizes a disk brake on awheeled sled whereby the user can selectively change the push resistanceby simply using a small dial, ratchet lever (like that used to changegears on a multi-geared bicycle) or by electronic command, change thepressure of the disc brake acting on a brake rotor connected to the axleor wheel hub. This eliminates the need to change the weight of the sledevery time a resistance change is necessary which is a time-consumingarduous task.

An electronic sensor with a strain gauge for determining load andodometer functions shall be integrated into one device that integratesthe disk brake with the sled frame such that when the disk brake isengaged with the brake rotor to resist wheel movement the electronicsensor will be able to calculate the load applied to the sled by theuser in addition to the velocity, acceleration, distance travel, powergenerated and work performed by the user during a single push and overmultiple pushes. The sensor has a two-way wireless communicationscapabilities with smart devices such that measured parameters by thesensor can be displayed and analyzed real-time to a user or otherperson. A smart device such as a smart phone can be attached to the sledand through an app using the sensor's data can provide training commandsand coach the user through a workout providing real-time feed backregarding the user's performance relative to the current workout orcomparing current workout performance vs past workouts.

The resistance modules and leads will be able to route at least one ormore of the elongated resistance members to both sides of a centerlinefrom front to back of the sled defining a left and right half such thatthe resistance members can simultaneously be attached the left and rightfoot, leg or hand of the user while pushing the sled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a side elevation view of a prior art sled is pushed by auser using vertical uprights.

FIG. 2 shows a side elevation view of how a prior art sled is pushed bya user using horizontal push members.

FIG. 3 presents the sled for a current sled art that generatesresistance against pushing the sled by means of electromagneticresistance applied to two wheels.

FIG. 4 presents the sled for a current sled art that generatesresistance against pushing the sled by means of electromagneticresistance applied to one wheel.

FIG. 5 shows the three transitional phases a sprinter goes throughrelative to body position from the start of a race to reaching topspeed.

FIG. 6 shows the body position for a sprinter at top speed with legdriving downward to the ground strike position under the sprinter neartheir center of gravity.

FIG. 7 shows the body position for a sprinter at top speed with foot atthe optimal ground strike position just under the sprinter's center ofgravity including important force vectors that propel the sprinterforward.

FIG. 8 shows a photo of an embodiment of the sled innovation with awaist push member integrated to an extension member connected to thesled with resistance members connected to the feet of the user.

FIG. 9 shows a photo of an embodiment of the sled innovation with achest push member integrated to an extension member connected to thesled with resistance members connected to the feet of the user.

FIG. 10 shows a photo of an embodiment of the sled innovation with achest push member with overlay showing the height, length and pitchadjustability of the extension member and chest push memberrespectively.

FIG. 11 shows a side elevation drawing of a sled embodiment utilizingthe waist push member.

FIG. 12 shows an overhead illustration a sled embodiment utilizing thewaist push member.

FIG. 13 shows a rear elevation drawing of a sled embodiment utilizingthe waist push member.

FIG. 14 shows a side elevation drawing of a sled embodiment utilizingthe chest push member.

FIG. 15 shows an overhead illustration a sled embodiment utilizing thechest push member.

FIG. 16 shows a rear elevation drawing of a sled embodiment utilizingthe chest push member.

FIG. 17 shows an overhead elevation of a sled embodiment whereby a“Modification Kit” containing waist or chest push member, a cross-membercapable of receiving an extension member and an extension member thatcan attach to prior art sleds for the purpose of converting the priorart sled so that it may implement the waist push or chest pushinnovation.

FIG. 18 shows an side elevation drawing of a sled embodiment whereby a“Modification Kit” containing waist or chest push member, a cross-membercapable of receiving an extension member and an extension member thatcan attach to prior art sleds for the purpose of converting the priorart sled so that it may implement the waist push or chest pushinnovation.

FIG. 19A shows a sideview elevation drawing presenting the vertical,length and pitch adjustment capabilities of the waist push embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 19B shows a sideview elevation drawing presenting the vertical,length and pitch adjustment capabilities of the chest push embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 20 shows an overhead drawing presenting the width specification ofthe waist push member such that arm swing movement cannot impact anyportion of the waist push member or extension member supporting thewaist push member.

FIG. 21 shows a sideview elevation drawing presenting an extensionmember modification to prevent the user's legs from striking theextension member while pushing the sled.

FIG. 22 shows a side elevation drawing of a sled embodiment utilizingthe waist push innovation and resistance module innovation wherebyresistance members can be routed to and attached to the user's legs orfeet while pushing the sled.

FIG. 23 shows a side elevation drawing of a sled embodiment utilizingthe chest push innovation and resistance module innovation wherebyresistance members can be routed to and attached to the user's legs orfeet and/or hands while pushing the sled.

FIG. 24 shoes a rear elevation drawing of the cross-member withattachment points for the lead members associated with each resistancemodule.

FIG. 25 shows an overhead illustration of the sled innovation utilizingfour resistance modules with resistance member distal ends attached tomultiple trainees exercising around a stationary sled.

FIG. 26 shows an overhead illustration of the resistance moduleinnovation without the elongated member.

FIG. 27 shows a side elevation illustration of the resistance moduleinnovation without elongated member.

FIG. 28 shows an overhead illustration of the resistance moduleinnovation with the elongated member.

FIG. 29 shows a side elevation illustration of the resistance moduleinnovation with the elongated member.

FIG. 30 shows an overhead illustration of four resistance moduleinnovations integrated to a weighted sled

FIG. 31 shows a side elevation illustration of the resistance moduleinnovation integrated to a sled with elongated member with attachmentclip attached and lead member RP2.

FIG. 32 shows a side elevation illustration of the sled with fourresistance modules integrated and how each resistance member can berouted to a user at different elevations using the lead members andattachment points at different elevations.

FIG. 33 shows a sideview elevation of the lift mechanism in theretracted state.

FIG. 34 shows a sideview elevation of the lift mechanism in theprotracted state whereby the sled's support members are lifted off theground and the sled can freely rotate about the lift member.

FIG. 35 shows an overhead illustration of how the sled can be rotatedabout the lift mechanism.

FIG. 36 shows an overhead illustration of how the sled can be rotated180 degrees about the lift mechanism and set down facing the oppositedirection.

FIG. 37 shows a sideview elevation of the wheel lift mechanism in theretracted (in rear of sled) and protracted state (front of sled) whichlifts the sled skids off the ground.

FIG. 38 shows a front view elevation of the wheel lift mechanism in theretracted state.

FIG. 39 shows a front view elevation of the wheel lift mechanism in theprotracted state with wheels in contact with the ground and lifting theskid off the ground.

FIG. 40 shows an overhead illustration of an embodiment of the diskbrake and sensor mechanism integrated to a sled with wheels.

FIG. 41 shows a rear elevation illustration of an embodiment of the diskbrake and sensor mechanism integrated to a sled with wheels.

FIG. 42 shows a rear elevation illustration of an embodiment of the diskbrake and brake rotor integrated to an axle with two wheels.

FIG. 43 shows a rear elevation illustration of an embodiment of the diskbrake and brake rotor integrated to an axle with two wheels and the rearframe portion of the sled.

FIG. 44 shows a sideview elevation of the disk brake and sensor supportintegration to the frame of the sled.

FIG. 45 shows a sideview elevation of the integration of the disk brake,brake rotor and sensor onto the sled.

FIG. 46 shows a sideview elevation of how the sensor measures sled load,velocity and distance.

The objectives and advantages of the claimed subject matter will becomeapparent from the following detailed description of preferredembodiments thereof in connection with the accompanying drawings. Withreference to the figures where like elements have been given likenumerical designations to facilitate an understanding of the presentsubject matter, the various embodiments of a weighted sled apparatus andmethod are described.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A weighted sled training apparatus and method are provided allowing auser to transfer force to a sled using only their waist or chest for thepurpose of pushing the sled and transferring a training load to theuser's legs.

FIGS. 11-13 illustrate a sled 100 having a frame 1 and a push member 12adapted to receive a waist portion of the user adapted to be fitted onan extension member 10 which is attached to the frame 1 for the purposeof transferring ground contact reaction forces GC up through the waistsequentially into members 12 and 10 as force WF applied by the waist,and then being transferred into sled frame 1 for the purpose of pushingthe sled in direction D. The weight of the sled with or without trainingweights 7 provide the weight for skids 4 to interact with the groundproviding friction opposing movement. This embodiment provides twosignificant innovations over the prior art to promote speed specificstrength and power development and improved top end athletic speed.First, since the waist push innovation does not require the use of thehands to transfer force to the sled, everybody part above the user'swaistline AW is completely free to move with a natural running motionwhen pushing the sled. The ability to now push the sled while drivingthe hands H and arms A forwards and backwards with a natural runningmotion. This provides a novel advantage to the user as the free armmovement will allow the user to drive and chop their legs fasterfacilitating speed strength development. It is a known fact that thehuman drive or stride frequency of the legs is aided by frequency of armdrive when running. The faster you can drive the arms, the faster youcan drive your legs. If an athlete holds their arms still when trying torun, their maximum speed will be severely impacted. Thus, being able todrive or pump the arms when driving the sled will allow higher trainingvelocities with respect to leg movement. The second benefit associatedwith the hip push member is that it forces the user to drive the sled ina more upright position that reflects the proper body lean when runningat top end speed. This allows the sled to apply a more sports specificload targeting the leg muscles at joint angles very similar to thoseexperienced when running at top end speed which theoretically willprovide enhanced strength development specifically targeted forimproving speed. To help illustrate the benefits just described of thepresent innovation over the prior art, FIGS. 1-2 illustrate how theprior art requires the user to transfer force to push members 2 and 3.Vertical 2 and horizontal 3 push members are connected to sled frame 1whereby the user is required to place their hands on the push membersand transfer ground contact force generated by the legs through theirhips, back, shoulders, arms and hands and then through to the sledthrough push members 2 and 3. In order to transfer the load from thelegs to the sled using one's hands, the user's back, stomach, shouldersand arms must become a ridged structure. The user's body from thewaistline to the neckline must lock or freeze into a virtually fixedposition to transfer force generated by the legs onto the sled whenusing the hands as a force transfer mechanism. By virtue of the priorart requiring the use of the user's hands to transfer force to the sledand the subsequent the locking of the upper body and limbs forces theuser into a non-athletic “locked” position where not even the arms canmove to simulate the running motion. Referencing FIG. 5, the body leanat the start of each of the three phases of accelerating to a fullsprint are presented. Progressing from the Drive to Transition to TopSpeed phase, Axis A-C show how the body lean from the start (nearhorizontal) to Top Speed phase (nearly vertical with a slight forwardtilt) changes and become more upright as the athlete transitions fromthe start to top speed. Note in FIGS. 1 and 2 the forward body lean ortilt can approximate the tilt in the Transition and Drive phasesrespectively of FIG. 5. However, as long as the hands are required todrive the sled, the user will not be able to train in a sports specificmanner with the near vertical tilt of the Top Speed phase indicated withAxis C. The present disclosure of FIGS. 11-13 will be more efficientdeveloping power to improve top end speed because the hip push memberallows the athlete to drive the sled maintaining the Axis C tilt ofFIGS. 6 and 7 which makes it much more difficult for the user togenerate force in the F3 direction hence promoting better targetedstrength and power development in the F3 direction to be deployed andsubsequently increase top end speed. Note that push members 2 which arecommonly found on all prior art and are commonly designed to hold weightplates are not physically required to implement the present inventionutilizing a push member 10 adapted to receive a waist portion of theuser.

FIGS. 14-16 illustrate a sled training apparatus whereby the user 13 isnot required to use hand push members 2 or 3 but rather utilize a pushmember adapted to receive a chest portion of the user 14 adapted to bemounted on an extension member 10 which is attached to the sled frame 1for the purpose of transferring ground contact reaction forces GC upthrough the hips, back and sequentially into members 14 and 10 as forceCF applied by the chest and then transferred into sled frame 1 for thepurpose of pushing the sled in direction D. FIGS. 14, 15 and 16illustrate a side, top and rearview elevation of a sled adapted to bepushed by the chest. This embodiment of the present subject matter doesnot require the hands or arms to push the sled but will require coremuscles in the stomach area to contract to form a ridged structure fromthe waist to the chest in order to transfer force GC into the pushmember adapted to receive a chest portion of the user 14. Thisembodiment re-enforces or promotes teaching the athlete to drive thechest with a forward lean which is critical to acceleration in the Driveand Transition phases shown in FIG. 5. Additionally, as with the waistdrive embodiment of FIG. 11, the ability to drive the arms freely andquickly while pushing the sled with a push member adapted to receive achest portion of the user will allow the user to drive their legs fasterpromoting speed strength development vs having the hands and arms lockedin position when pushing a sled using push members 2 and 3. Note thatpush members 2 which are commonly found on all prior art and arecommonly designed to hold weight plates are not physically required toimplement the present invention utilizing a push member 10 adapted toreceive a chest portion of the user.

FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate an embodiment to adapt the present innovationto sleds that have already been sold into the market but don't implementthe present invention. All sleds have push members 2 which will be theobvious choice to utilize vertical push member 2 structures to supportthe waist drive and chest drive innovations. FIG. 17 is an overheadperspective while FIG. 18 is a side elevation showing how cross member18 with attachment means 18A and 18B can be attached at differentelevations to push members 2. Attachment of cross member 18 may befacilitated with opposing members 18C and 18D to connect with members18A and 18B respectively. Member 50 is pivotally attached to crossmember18 using member 50A to pivot whereby member 50 can be locked in selectedpivot locations using member 50A. Member 50 is also designed to acceptextension member 10 which is adapted to receive a waist portion or chestportion while the user is pushing the sled. Member 50 embodies a lockingmeans to interact with extension member 10 to lock extension member 10at different insertion locations in member 50. The pivoting andinsertion functions provide the ability to adjust the adapted end ofextension member 10 to different elevations from the ground anddistances measured from the rear of the sled's frame 1. This is animportant feature as it will allow the present innovation to leveragepush member 2 structures for attachment means on all sleds that havealready been sold into or that will be sold into the market withouthaving to physically modify any portion of frame 1 or push members 2 forany sled manufacturer. Additionally, attaching extension member 10 toboth vertical push members 2 will allow the user to steer or turn thesled more easily while pushing it. This is because the user will be ableto apply more leverage to the outside edges of the tail end of the sledto turn it when applying force slightly to the left or right on the pushmembers adapted to receive a chest or waist portion of the users whichnow transfer force through members 2 on the outside edges of the sled.

FIG. 19A illustrates how the push member adapted to receive a waistportion of the user pitch angle P1 relative to extension member 10 isvariable and free to move with the user's waist movement while pushingthe sled. Additionally, the vertical height V and distance from the tailend of the sled DS can be adjusted by pivoting member 50 and adjustingits tilt angle P2 and sliding push member 10 into or out of member 50.Member 50 has two locking mechanisms to lock and fix the selected tiltangle P2 and lock member 10 at a selected insert position along L1. Thedescribed adjustment features will allow the push member adapted toreceive a waist portion of the user to adjust for the user's height andwaist tilt while pushing the sled. The ability of member 10 to slide andlock at selectable positions in member 50 will allow the user to fixtheir distance from the tail end of the sled's frame 1. FIG. 19Billustrates how the push member adapted to receive a chest portion ofthe user pitch angle P3 relative to extension member 10 is variable andcan be selectable to change pitch freely or locked at a specific pitchangle of the user's choosing while they push the sled. Additionally, thevertical height V and distance from the tail end of the sled DS can beadjusted by pivoting member 50 and adjusting its tilt angle P4 andsliding push member 10 into or out of member 50. Member 50 has twolocking mechanisms to lock and fix the selected tilt angle P4 and lockmember 10 at a selected insert position along L2. The describedadjustment features will allow the user to adjust the push memberadapted to receive a chest portion of the user 14's tilt P3 and set thepush member adapted to receive a chest portion of the user's heightrelative to the ground so as to fix and train in a sports specificmanner all drive angles from Axis A to Axis B shown in FIG. 5. Note thatfor extreme drive angles (such as FIG. 5, Axis A) where the chest isnearly parallel to the ground, a set of shoulder restraints will berequired to keep the user's chest from slipping off the push memberadapted to receive a chest portion of the user 14.

FIG. 20 illustrates a push member adapted to receive a waist portion ofthe user 12 whose width between ends W1 is less than the width betweenthe user's arms W2 so that the user's arms and hands do not contact anyportion of the push member 12 or extension member 10 supporting pushmember 12 while the user's arms move forward and backwards while pushingthe sled.

FIG. 21 illustrates how in some embodiments the extension member 10 canhave a first portion 10A extending downwardly to a distal end relative asecond portion 10B. This will help prevent the user's knees or thighsfrom striking any portion of extension member 10 when the knee and thighelevate to their highest point (see dashed outline of user's knee andthigh with high point designator HP) in the recovery cycle while pushingthe sled.

Referencing FIG. 6 it is desirable to develop as much strength aspossible to power and accelerate the foot in the downward direction ofF1 before the foot strikes the ground so as to maximize the groundstrike force at impact which determines an athlete's maximum runningvelocity. Referencing FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 it is obvious the prior sled artcan not apply any resistance to the user's foot prior to striking theground when pushing the sled. Thus, referencing FIG. 22 anotherembodiment of the present disclosure adds one or more elongatedresistance members 28A and 28B connected to frame 1 whereby the distalends with connector means are routed through pulley lead RP2 attached tocross-member 18 (Ref. FIG. 24) and then connected to attachment means 29on the user's feet or legs. Elongated members 28A and 28B provideresistance in the direction of arrow R continuously thereby resistingany movement of the legs or feet downward or away from the sled. Thisinnovation now allows sleds to effectively load the airborne portion ofthe leg drive and recovery phases while pushing the sled to facilitatesports and movement specific strength effectively promoting powerdevelopment from the start of the downward foot movement prior to groundstrike, at ground strike and through the complete ground contact phaseuntil the foot breaks contact with the ground and enters the recoveryphase. A real-life implementation of this embodiment can be viewed withFIG. 8

Increasing power in the muscles that contribute to rearward arm drivevelocity is also important since increasing rearward arm drive velocityalso increases leg drive velocity due to the physical and neurologicalconnection between arm cycling frequency and leg cycle frequency whenrunning. If you increase the rate of your arm drive frequency whenrunning, your legs go faster. If you try to run without moving your armsyour top running speed can decrease as much as 50 percent vs allowingyour arms to cycle as fast as possible when sprinting. Therefore,referencing FIG. 23, another innovative embodiment of the presentdisclosure allows the elongated resistance members to be connected tothe user's hands using harness means 30. Any arm swing movement awayfrom the sled will be resisted by the attached elongated members. Areal-life implementation of this embodiment can be viewed with FIG. 9.The FIG. 23 embodiment with four resistance modules (4×RM1) allowsindependent loading of both legs or both arms or both legs and armssimultaneously. A means 18 to route the elongated members to the user isbetter illustrated with FIG. 24. Cross-member 18 uses connector means18A which is adapted to attach to push members 2 on all sleds. Multipleconnector means 19 on cross-member 18 provide connection means to attachRP2 routing means to route elongated members to one or more athletes.FIG. 25 illustrates how a sled can be used in a fixed position wherebyone or more elongated members 28A-28D can be independently routed to andconnected to multiple users 13A-13D anywhere around the perimeter of thesled using an attachment means on the user. Once the users are attachedto the elongated members, they will have a resistive training load(arrow R) directed from their position back to the RP2 pulley lead thattheir elongated member is routed through. The users will be able toconduct low or high velocity resisted training drills loaded by theelongated member when standing next to the sled frame 1 out to 40 ormore yards from the stationary sled.

An illustration of the embodiment of a resistance module to carry theelongated member prior to being routed to the user is provided withFIGS. 26 and 27 whereby the elongated member has been removed from theresistance module. FIG. 26 is a top elevation and FIG. 27 is a sideelevation of the resistance module which consists of; a base 20, a cutout portion 21 of the base to allow the opposing end of the elongatedmember to pass through and under the base and then into and out of camcleat 25, two pulley stacks 22 and 23 containing at least one pulleyeach, an elevated pulley lead RP1 to direct the distal end of theelongated member away from the resistance module and connection members26 and 27 used to lock the resistance module onto frame 1 of the sled.FIGS. 28 and 29 provide a top and sideview elevation illustrationrespectively showing the resistance module with the elongated member 34routed through the pulley system. Opposing end 34A passes through pulleylead RP2 and then through pulley lead RP1 then alternately around pulleystacks 23 and 22 and then passing through cut out 21 in base 20 passingto the underside of base 20 and then through cam cleat 25. Pulley leadRP2 with attachment clip 32 can be connected to any connectors 19fastened to cross-member 18 to redirect distal end with clip 33 to anattachment harness worn by a user positioned anywhere around theperimeter of the sled. Additionally, RP2 can be connected to anyreceptor attached to a sled part above RP1 elevation for redirectingdistal end with clip 33 to a user.

FIGS. 30 and 31 provide a top and side view elevation illustrationrespectively of four independent resistance module each carrying anelongated member 34 with connector clip 33 attached to the distal end.Member 35 attaches to frame 1 and receives resistance module connector26 while opposing resistance module connector 27 attaches to frame 1.One or more resistance module carrying the elongated member can beindependently connected to the sled. Referencing FIG. 32, additionalextensions EXT1 and EXT 2 can be added to sled frame 1 to directelongated members at different levels to one or more users. In thisexample, four elongated members with connector means 33A-33D emanatingfrom 4 independent resistance module are routed away from the sled atdifferent elevations to be used one to four users simultaneously. RP2Aconnected to 19 on cross-member 18 (not visible) routes elongated member34A with attachment clip 33A to the backside of the sled. EXT 2 attachedto frame 1 with cross-member 37 and multiple connectors 36 attachedroutes elongated member 34B with connector clip 33B and 34D withconnector clip 33D away from the sled at an elevated height using RP2Band RP2D connected to members 36. EXT 1 attached to frame 1 withcross-member 3 and multiple connectors 36 attached, routes elongatedmember 34C with connector clip 33C away from the front end of the sledat an elevation just above RP1 using RP2C connected to member 36. Suchan embodiment allows a stationary sled to train many users withelongated member origins emanating away from the sled at many differentlevels providing additional training versatility to the prior art.

FIGS. 33-36 illustrate an additional innovation to aid the user inturning the sled around once the user has pushed the sled to the end ofa training range and wishes to reverse the direction of the sled to pushit back to the original starting position. Turning sleds of the priorart around 180 degrees around after every push (especially when heavilyweighted) is difficult and time consuming. The sled turning task hasbeen a long-standing issue with users of the prior art which does notprovide a means to facilitate turning the sled. Referencing FIGS. 33 and34, sled frame 1 contains an aperture 41, which receives shaft 42 withfoot 43 connected to shaft 42. Lowering mechanism 40 is a pedal utilizedto lower shaft 42 and foot 43 to raise frame 1 off the ground to heightthat frame 1 can be rotated about shaft 42 utilizing bearing 44 in theclockwise or counterclockwise direction as shown if FIG. 35. After thesled is rotated about the shaft 42 as shown in FIG. 36 the mechanism 40for lowering foot 43 is used to place foot 43 in the retracted positionas shown in FIG. 33.

Referencing the embodiment described in FIGS. 37-39 will allow twoadvantages with respect to increasing the velocity of the sled for anygiven force applied to it for the purpose of pushing and secondly thedeployable wheels will help the sled move in a straight line and inhibitdrift to the left or right when uneven loads are applied to push memberson the sled. Arms 50 and 51 have one end pivotally attached to frame 1and the other end supporting a wheel or wheels 46F and 47F with member48 attached to members 50 and 51 providing an axle to support one ormore wheels with bearings and to create a ridged structure wherebymembers 48, 50 and 51 all move in unison. As members 50 and 51 pivot atthe frame 1 attachment point. Knob 49 attached to threaded bolt 52 whichpasses through threaded support member 53 which is attached to frame 1.Threaded bolt 52 then passes through threaded member 48 which isattached to and moves with pivoting members 50 and 51. As knob 49 isturned clockwise member 48 will be drawn to support member 53 aspivoting arms 50 and 51 rise bringing the wheels into a raised positionnot in contact with the ground as shown in FIG. 38. Turning the knobcounterclockwise will force member 48 away from member 53 with arms 50and 51 pivoting downward into a lowered position placing the wheels incontact with the ground while skid member 4F is lifted off the ground.With the bearing wheels in contact with the ground the force required topush the sled will be reduced significantly as the bearing wheelsprovide much less friction for movement than skid member 4F sliding onthe ground. The sled velocity will increase for any given load appliedthat can move the sled vs the skids in full contact with the ground andthe wheel or wheels will also help the sled travel in a straight line asopposed to the flat skid 4F which has no means to counteract unevenforce applied to push members 2 which will cause the front end of thesled to veer left or right depending on which of the two push membershave more force applied to them.

Another embodiment is with FIGS. 40-43 whereby the friction skids arereplaced by wheels and a disk brake 64 mounted to frame 1 is utilized tointeract with at least one wheel RRW. A controller 61 is connected tothe disk brake 64 to control the pressure applied to the brake rotor 63to provide a desired resistance to the movement of one or more wheelsand the sled. Referencing FIGS. 40-43 we have a three wheeled embodimentof a sled that could be pushed by applying force to vertical pushmembers 2 or pulled with a tether. Technically this embodiment is a cartand not a sled anymore since it has no skids. This embodiment attachesrear wheels RRW and LRW to a common axle 60. Axle 60 is attached to eachwheel RRW and LRW and rotates with the wheels. Metal brake rotor 63 isattached to axle 60 so it rotates with the axle 60 and both wheels RRWand LRW also. Note the brake rotor 63 could alternately be attached tothe wheel RRW. Disk Brake 64 which fits over rotor 63 is attached tosled frame 1 with pivoting means illustrated in FIG. 45. Member 62 is anintegrated force measurement device providing the ability to measureforce applied to the sled by the user. Member 62 is also fitted withmagnetic sensing capabilities to provide odometer functions formeasuring sled velocity and distance traveled. Member 62 has wirelesstransmission capabilities to transmit force, velocity and distancetraveled data to a receiving device. Member 61 with control lever ordial means 61A transfers control via member 61B which is connected to 64to control braking force applied by disk brake 64 to brake rotor 63which transfers braking resistance to axle 60 which is then transferredto wheels RRW and LRW. FIGS. 42-43 illustrate a rearview elevation ofone embodiment selective resistance mechanism showing just the wheelsRRW and LRW, axle 60, brake rotor 63, disk brake 64 and axle supportstructure frame 1 with embedded bearings 60A and 60B for axle 60 and oneor more magnetic members 63A and 63B integrated to the brake rotor 63.The magnetic elements integrated to brake rotor 63 are for the sensor 62to monitor and calculate velocity and distance traveled duringindividual pushes or complete workouts with the sled. One, two, four,eight or more magnets can be attached to brake rotor 63. The moremagnetic elements 63A and 63B attached at equally spaced intervals onbrake rotor 63, the more accurate distance, velocity and accelerationmeasurements will be with the ability for the odometer function todetect ¼ turn of the wheel—(4 magnets), ⅛ turn of the wheel—(8 magnets)or 1/10 turn of the wheel—(10 magnets). Post 1A or push members 2 can beused to attach the chest drive and hip drive attachments described inaccordance with FIGS. 22 and 23. The cart can also be adapted to attachelongated resistance members described in accordance with FIGS. 26-32.

Referencing FIG. 44 a side view of the braking assembly less brake rotor63 is shown. Axle housing or support structure 1 holds bearings 60B and60A which axle 60 passes through. Disk brake 64 with mounting pin 64Aattached to mount strain gauge sensor 62 to the disk brake 64 is shown.The disk brake is mounted to sled frame 1 using flange 67 and pin 68 sothat disk brake assembly 64 and mounting pin 64A can pivot about pin 68axis as shown by arrow A1 and dotted outline of disk brake 64.Non-movable flange 65 with strain gauge sensor mounting pin 65A isattached to frame member 1. Magnet sensor 66 is located in an area onflange 65 so that it may detect magnetic elements 63A and 63B on brakerotor 63 as they pass by magnet sensor 66 as brake rotor 63 is turningwith wheel RRW. FIG. 45 illustrates how FIG. 44 would look once brakerotor 63 is attached to axle 60 and inserted into disk brake 64. Straingauge sensor 62 with mounting pin receptors 62A and 62B is placed overmounting pins 65A and 64A respectively to produce the illustration shownwith FIG. 46. Referencing FIG. 45 with brake rotor 63 semi-transparentfor illustration purposes, the strain gauge sensor 62 is now in place onmounting pins 65A and 64A with sensor cable 67 plugged into strain gaugesensor 62 and connected to magnetic detection device 66 for signaltransmission to strain gauge sensor 62. Signal transmission fromdetector 66 to strain gauge sensor 62 could be accomplish wirelesslyalso. When the sled is pushed in the direction of D1 by the user wheelsRRW and LRW will try to turn rotor 63 in the direction of arrow D2. Ifthe braking disks inside disk brake 64 are engaged with brake rotor 63providing resistance against brake rotor 63 moving, any movement ofrotor 63 in the direction of arrow D2 will try to pull disk brakehousing 64 in the direction of arrow D3 as well as connected pin 64A inthe direction of arrow D4 as the pivoting capability of 64A will allowmovement in the D4 direction. However, pin receptors 62A and 62B instrain gauge sensor 62 will not let pins 65A and 64A separate more thana fraction of an inch as the strain gauge sensor limits movement of 62Aand 62B as member 62 begins measuring force. The separation forcepulling pins 65A and 64A apart will be measured by sensors detectingpressure applied to receptors 62A and 64A within member 62 and thus theforce applied to the sled can be measured by determining the length ofthe moment arm between the center of the disk pad in disk brake 64 andthe center of axle 60 and its spatial relationship to the outerperimeter of wheels RRW and LRW. The frequency of magnetic elements 63Aand 63B passing detector 66 will determine sled velocity while thenumber of magnetic element passing over detector 66 will allow member 62to calculate distance pushed.

The data collected by member 62 can be wirelessly transmitted to devicessuch as a PC or smart phone or I-Pad type tablet for analysis and realtime display such as attaching a smart phone to a support member on thesled and using an app to display real time data to the user that theycan view while training with the sled. The app can present workoutsthrough visual and audio means from the smart phone or tablet orpermanently attached LCD interactive screen to the user and actuallycoach them through many types of sled workouts comparing past workoutperformances with the current workout performance. Performance changesover time will be able to be tracked. The app or attached interactiveLCD screen can provide the ability to adjust cart resistance by simplyselecting drive resistance with member 61 and allowing the app towirelessly or through direct cable control command a electromechanicalservo to adjust disk brake 64 force applied to brake rotor 63. Ifelectromechanical control of disk brake 64 pressure on brake rotor 63 isimplemented, push button or LCD touch control or smart phone control bythe user could be used to change the disk brake resistance setting anthus change how hard the user must push or pull against the sled to makeit move.

1. A sled adapted to be pushed by a user along a surface in a directionof travel, the sled comprising: a frame; an extension member mounted tothe frame and extending from the frame in a direction opposite from thedirection of travel, the extension member having a distal end; and apush member mounted to the distal end of the extension member, the pushmember extending orthogonally to the direction of travel and adapted toreceive a chest portion or waist portion of the user while the user ispushing the sled.
 2. The sled of claim 1 wherein the push member has awidth between a pair of ends less than a width between the user's armssuch that the user's arms do not contact the push member when the sledis being pushed.
 3. The sled member of claim 1 wherein the extensionmember has a first portion extending downwardly to the distal end toprevent legs of the user from contacting the push member and extensionmember while the sled is being pushed.
 4. The sled member of claim 1further comprising at least one resistance module mount to the frame;the resistance module having an elongated member which has a free endwhich is connected to a portion of the leg or foot or hand of the userto provide a resistance load while the sled is being pushed.
 5. The sledof claim 4, wherein the frame further comprises a pair of uprightmembers mounted to a base and a cross-member extending between theupright members wherein the elongated member passes from the resistancemodule to the cross-member and downwardly to the user's leg or foot. 6.The sled of claim 4 wherein the extension member is rotatably mounted tothe cross-member such that a height of the push member with respect tothe surface can be adjusted.
 7. The sled of claim 4 wherein theextension member is slidably mounted to the cross-member such that thedistance of the push member from the sled frame can be adjusted.
 8. Thesled of claim 1 wherein the frame includes a plurality of skidssupporting the frame on the ground.
 9. The sled of claim 7, furthercomprising a plurality of arms, each of the arms having one endpivotally mounted to the frame and another end supporting a wheel, thearms rotating between a raised position not in contact with the groundand a lowered position in contact with the ground to support the sledfor movement.
 10. A sled adapted to be pushed along a surface in a firstdirection of travel, the sled comprising: a frame; an aperture; a foothaving a shaft which is received in the aperture of the frame; amechanism for lowering the foot to raise the frame off the ground to aheight that the frame can be rotated about the shaft and raising theshaft to a retracted position; the mechanism operable to raise the footafter the frame has been rotated.
 11. The sled of claim 9, furthercomprising a bearing mounted to frame to receive the shaft of the footto support the sled for rotation.
 12. The sled of claim 9, wherein themechanism for lowering is connected to the shaft.
 13. The sled of claim9, wherein the mechanism for lowering is a cylinder.
 14. The sled ofclaim 9, wherein the cylinder is actuated by a pedal.
 15. A sled adaptedto be moved along a surface by a user, the sled comprising: a frame; atleast one wheel attached to the frame to move along the surface; a discbrake mounted to the frame to interact with the at least one wheel, thedisc brake having a rotor; a controller connected to the disc brake tocontrol pressure applied to the rotor to provide a desired resistance tomovement of the one of the wheels and the sled.
 16. The sled of claim 14further comprising a strain gauge sensor mounted to the disc brake, acontroller receiving a signal from the strain gauge and calculating theload applied to the sled.
 17. A sled comprising: a frame; a plurality ofresistance modules mounted to the sled each resistance module having aband adapted to be connected to a user; a plurality of leads connectedto the sled, each of the plurality of leads associated with a respectiveone of the plurality of resistance modules to direct the band of theresistance module from the resistance module to a user.
 18. The sled ofclaim 16, wherein the frame has a pair of sides and at least one of theplurality of leads is mounted to direct the band of one of the pluralityof resistance modules over one side of the frame and at least one otherof the plurality of leads is mounted to the frame to direct another oneof the plurality of bands over an opposite side of the frame may use theplurality of resistance modules at the same time.
 19. A sled formovement along a surface by a user; the sled comprising: a frame; anengagement member mounted to the frame and contacting the surface; asensor mounted to the frame to measure the amount of force applied tothe sled by the user;
 20. The sled of claim 18 further having a computermodule connected to the sensor, the computer having a timer andcircuitry to determine performance information.
 21. A method of pushinga resistance sled comprising: providing a sled with a push memberadapted to receive a portion of the chest or waist pushing the pushmember with a portion of the chest or waist of the user.